This crispy chicken recipe is one that will guarantee you will want to make often. It’s perfect crispy breading with super tender and juiciness with each bite.
This tender and juicy breaded chicken was flash fried and finished in the oven is the best! My mom would make it often for our family on Sunday’s. It was one of her favourites and understandably so. It is a perfect recipe to eat hot fresh out of the oven or it’s just as tasty eating cold that makes a perfect picnic lunch.
I make reference to this recipe as Hungarian-style breaded chicken because this is the way my Grandmother and Mom made it. Where I grew up, we had a Hungarian hall and a church, and the ladies would make huge pans of the breaded chicken for wedding, celebrations and our church festivals and they would prepare it the same way. So that’s why I have named it Hungarian-style.
Serve with: mash potatoes, green or cabbage salad, asparagus, broccoli, roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, green veggies, potato salad, or pasta salad.
WHAT MAKES THIS BREADED CHICKEN SO DELICIOUS
What to consider when buying chicken. I grew up eating chicken that we raised on the farm and it was the best! No hormones or antibiotics were used and the chicken were fed with our own grains. Today, I will intentionally buy this type of chicken or organic chicken. I know it can be expensive but I look for specials and places were prices are alittle better. It does make a difference in taste when it comes to purchasing local fresh poultry. If you are unable to buy local or hormone/antibiotic free, I would try to find your local butcher shop who may buy their meats locally.
When it comes to breading the chicken, we always followed this method. First with all-purpose flour, then a egg and milk wash and final step to pat firmly the bread crumbs. We would buy bread crumbs from our local bakery or make our own. What I mean by that is when our bread would go stale we would dry it and then put it in the food processor to break it down into bread crumbs. You can always add panko bread crumbs into the mixture.
I have made this recipe two ways, pan fried or baked it in the oven. When pan frying, add a small amount of a good vegetable oil to a skillet and when hot, add chicken and flash fry long enough to get the breading crispy. When baking, you need to coat the breading with oil and adds some oil to the baking pan to avoid the chicken from sticking. Today, I have used a good quality extra virgin olive oil and the results are perfectly crispy chicken without the olive oil taste.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Breading the chicken: salt your chicken pieces and begin coating the pieces with flour. For easy clean up, I lay a piece of wax paper on the counter, and add the flour on the left side and the bread crumbs on the right side. (depends if your right-handed or left), another option is placing the flour and bread crumbs on plates. Continue coating each piece with egg mixture and bread crumbs. Following these steps and allowing the chicken to sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before frying, this will help the bread crumbs to adhere to the chicken.
Method #1: Fried chicken: in a large skillet, heat vegetable oil to 350°F and carefully place chicken pieces in to the skillet and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side. I will tend to fry it on the lighter side, since the oven will create a toasty crispy coating. Place the fried chicken into a baking dish in the oven set at 350°F and cover for 20 minutes, then remove cover cook for another 15-20 minutes until fully cooked and breading is crispy.
Method #2: Baked chicken: Preheat oven to 350°F and coat a baking dish with vegetable oil and place the chicken in the dish. Coat the downside and flip the chicken over so the side that is coated with oil is facing up. Add more vegetable oil to the baking dish so the bottom side of the chicken doesn’t stick to the bottom, dry up or overcook. Cover for the first 20 minutes and remove lid for the remaining 20 minutes. You will notice the breadcrumbs tends to absorb the oil and create a crispy coating. Using this method results in a crispy and moist chicken. Avoid turning the pieces over, as the breadcrumbs will fall off.
STORING
Store the chicken pieces into an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing is an option, place in an zip-lock bag or container with an air-tight lid and freeze up 3-4 months. Honestly, if you have any leftovers I would be surprised. 🙂
DELICIOUS RECIPES TO SERVE WITH BREADED CHICKEN
- HUNGARIAN CABBAGE SALAD
- ROASTED ROSEMARY POTATOES, ASPARAGUS AND HEIRLOOM CHERRY TOMATOES
- CLASSIC POTATO SALAD – our favourite to make with breaded chicken
- MAPLE MASHED SWEET POTATOES
- LIGHT SUMMER POTATO SALAD WITH HERBS
FAQ
Can I substitute all-purpose flour for another flour? Yes you can, rice flour, rye flour, semolina or chickpea flour are options.
Is milk my only option to use when breading the chicken? No, you can use almond, oat, soy, or buttermilk and what I have used is organic half and half cream.
Can I use only panko bread crumbs? Yes you can, it will end up with a thicker and crispy coating.
Hungarian Style Breaded Chicken
Equipment
- baking dish
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks/thighs/breasts (organic or hormone and antibiotic free chicken)
- 1 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp organic milk
- 3/4 cup fine bread crumbs (panko bread crumbs can be added)
- 21/2 cups organic vegetable oil (safflower/sunflower oil)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Select 6 chicken pieces of your choice. If you choose chicken breasts, you will need more flour, bread crumbs and another egg.
- Lay wax paper in an area for the flour, and bread crumbs. (or place flour and bread crumbs each on a plate). Beat egg and milk together and place in the centre of the flour and bread crumbs.
- Salt chicken pieces, place on a plate. Add oil to skillet or deep fryer and begin to warm the oil.
- Start coating each piece of chicken with flour, then evenly coat with egg mixture and then bread crumbs. Firmly pat the bread crumbs. Sometimes I will bread the chicken ahead of time and place in the refrigerator covered. By doing this, the breading tends to stay firmly on the chicken when frying.
- Method #1: Fried chicken: heat vegetable oil in a large skillet to 350°F, and carefully place each piece into the hot oil and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Place the fried chicken into a baking dish and cover for 20 minutes, then remove cover cook for another 15-20 minutes until fully cooked and breading is crispy. Method #2: Baked chicken: Preheat oven to 350°F and coat a medium-large baking dish with vegetable oil and place the chicken in the dish. Coat the downside and flip the chicken over so the side that is coated with oil is facing up. Add more vegetable oil to the baking dish so the bottom side of the chicken doesn't stick to the bottom, dry up or overcook. Cover for the first 20 minutes and remove lid for the remaining 20 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the oven, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with mashed potatoes, and green toss salad or cabbage salad. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
It is a simple tasty recipe and easy to make that doesn’t require a lot time and effort. The flavour naturally is from the tender juicy chicken and crispy outer coating of the breading. Yum! It is finger-licking good and you won’t be able to eat just one piece! 🙂
What temperature is the oven ?
Hi Rick,
Oh I apologize, the temperature should be 350°F.
Thank you for pointing that out to me!
Rose
This is the recipe my nagymama used. Only, in the Satu Mare district of Romania (Hungarian speaking area) they brine the chicken pieces for about 20 or so minutes, rinse and dry, before the egg, flour, and bread crumb process. I bake my chicken on a rack so the oil drips out. I made this for a picnic here in Texas. The people gobbled it up saying it was the best fried chicken they ever had. When my grandchildren come home from college, this is the first meal they ask for, second is goulash, with a close third to chicken paprikash with homemade nokedli. Just a note, Hungarians consider you a Hungarian no matter where you live
Hi Mary,
Thank you so much for sharing. That technique you mentioned with the bread chicken is one I need to try. I have heard about brining chicken before breading and I like the idea of placing the pieces on a rack in the oven so the oil drips out.
I agree, wherever we live our roots and traditional practices are true to who we are. I am so happy you emailed me Mary! Have a wonderful Easter to you and your family.
Sincerely,
Rose xo
Can this chicken be ‘oven baked’ ?
Yes it can Nicholas. I have often coated the baking dish with a good olive oil or vegetable oil then making sure the chicken pieces are coated with oil as well. Then placed it in the baking dish for 40 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
Enjoy! 🙂